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The Intrepid Super 120 is a multi-format, cost-saving DIY roll film back for 4×5 cameras. (Photograph courtesy of Intrepid Camera)
Imagine a world where you walk into your darkroom, wave a magic wand, and poof your 4×5 camera turns into a shape-shifting medium-format beast. That’s roughly what Intrepid Camera has done with its Intrepid Super 120 System: a “do-it-all” roll-film magazine that transforms your large-format camera into the Swiss Army knife of film formats.
Priced at $271, with an estimated lead time of around five weeks, this kit trades in the old-school “one back, one format” mentality for a far more ambitious and slightly chaotic philosophy. You get the option to play with everything from 6×4.5 portraits to sweeping 6×12 panoramas, all on the same roll! Need a tall portrait? Snap in the 6×4.5 mask. Mood suddenly panoramic? Swap to 6×12. It’s like the LEGO of medium-format film backs.
Bagged Super 120 parts, ready for shipment. (Photograph courtesy of Intrepid Camera)
But don’t expect it to arrive pre-built and ready for glory. The Super 120 comes as an unassembled kit featuring 94 components, 27 of which are 3D-printed, and a total weight of around 450 g once assembled. Yes, you’ll be playing mechanic before you play artist. Luckily, there’s a printed instruction manual (and accompanying assembly video) that makes the process as painless as possible. The payoff? You not only build your own gear, but you actually understand it, can fix it, and tweak it if things go awry.
From theory to reality, Intrepid extensively tested the Super 120 assembly process prior to product announcement. (Photograph courtesy of Intrepid Camera)
Functionally, the Super 120 excels at flexibility. It’s ideal for someone who doesn’t want to haul around multiple film backs, or swap expensive holders in the field. The magazine also includes a mechanical frame-counter so you know exactly how much of your precious roll you’ve used amid all of the format-swapping.
On the flip side, this Frankenstein-back comes with a caveat. It requires manual assembly. So, if your DIY karma is low, you might end up with a back that’s functionally cursed. Don’t fret, however, there’s nothing unsettling about hanging a “DIY experiment” onto your large-format camera.
Just a small handful of parts are used for building the revolutionary Super 120 roll film back. (Photographs courtesy of Intrepid Camera)
Still: for photographers who crave flexibility, hate bulk, or just think life’s too short for multiple backs, the Super 120 is a mischievous little tool. It’s part quick-change artist, part time machine for your camera and wholly irresistible if you love to tinker.
Are you ready to build your own roll film-format Frankenstein? Grab some film, a Super 120 kit, perhaps a tape measure, and let the 6×4.5 through 6×12 metamorphosis begin. It’s A-L-I-V-E!
Enjoy.
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